DigitalGlobe ™ successfully launches QuickBird imaging satellite
LONGMONT, Colorado, October 18, 2001 — DigitalGlobe announced today the
successful launch and deployment of the QuickBird high-resolution remote
sensing satellite. Once operational, QuickBird will provide the highest
resolution, commercially available, satellite imagery and the foundation
for a wide array of information products. The satellite was launched at
approximately 1:00 p.m. MDT on a Delta II launch vehicle from Vandenberg
AFB in California, USA.
QuickBird was launched into a 98-degree sun-synchronous orbit. With the
QuickBird safely deployed, DigitalGlobe begins its mission of providing
the highest resolution commercial digital imagery and geographic
information. DigitalGlobe products will be available through its
reseller network and online store, www.digitalglobe.com, next year.
Shortly after the launch of the QuickBird, a DigitalGlobe ground station
received a downlink signal confirming that the satellite successfully
separated from the launch vehicle and had automatically initialized
the onboard processors. The QuickBird satellite continues to perform
flawlessly.
After an on-orbit calibration and commissioning period of about 90 days,
QuickBird will begin acquiring 61-centimeter (2-foot) resolution
panchromatic (black and white) and 2.44-meter (8-foot) multispectral
(color) imagery. At 61-centimeter resolution, buildings, roads, bridges
and other detailed infrastructure become visible. The imagery will be
used for a wide range of applications, focusing on the assessment and
management of land, infrastructure, and natural resources. QuickBird
will collect an industry-leading 16.5-kilometer (10.3-mile) swath of
imagery that enables greater collection of large areas. QuickBird is
the first in a constellation of remote sensing satellites DigitalGlobe
will launch in the coming years.
Herb Satterlee, president and CEO stated, "QuickBird provides the
commercial markets of the world easy and inexpensive access to the
most refined representation of our planet ever assembled. We believe
that the quality and resolution of our imagery and our commitment to
our customers will demonstrate that DigitalGlobe is Clearly the Best."
About
DigitalGlobe is an imagery and information company located in Longmont,
Colorado. DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird satellite has the industry leading
capability to provide basic imagery at 61-centimeter panchromatic
and 2.44-meter multispectral resolutions. Standard imagery and
orthoproduct resolution will be offered at 70-centimeter panchromatic
and 2.8-meter multispectral. DigitalGlobe is establishing a market
leadership position by providing the highest resolution satellite
imagery product offering, the greatest collection capacity, and
the largest imaging footprint commercially available. These key
differentiators are unassailable for several years to come, as there
are no plans to launch a comparable commercial satellite until at
least 2004. The company offers geographic information products
through its digitalglobe.com on-line imagery store, an Internet-
based, global archive of geographic information available to
commercial businesses.
